The Cabinet is expected to take up the National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy for farmers affected by land acquisition to set up large industrial projects, including special economic zones (SEZs) at its meeting scheduled for Thursday.
Once cleared, the policy would benefit at least 500 proposed SEZ projects of which 183 are yet to acquire land but have received approval in principle and another 264 proposals for SEZs are under consideration. In a significant decision last month, the Group of Ministers (GoM) under Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar who deliberated upon R&R policy, suggested that states should be allowed to acquire 30% of land required for SEZs, in contrast to earlier decisions by a different panel imposing a total ban on compulsory land acquisition by government agencies or letting states acquire only 10% of the required land.
This was done to facilitate contiguity of land by the developers who would be required to directly buy 70% of it from the farmers.
The decision would be applicable to all industrial projects including SEZs.